Captured
by Blackpassion777
Summary: Jake is captured by an unknown, outside party in a darker take on the American Dragon. Centered around a much older, experienced Jake Long. Rated T for excessive violence and maybe brief language later on. Reviews are appreciated C:
1. Prequel Captured

**A darker American Dragon Jake Long fic – I do not own American Dragon Jake Long, nor do I claim any type of ownership. Just a humble fanfiction for the masses. I hope you enjoy my take on Jake Long. I wished that show were cooler and I keep trying to find fics like this, but they're hard to come by D: Which leaves me SAD FACE. I really like starting stories with PAIN D: What's wrong with me?! lol**

**I will continue this, it's just I needed to write this chapter as a short prequel. Since this IS a work in progress, this intro might get changed a bit later in the future.**

Jake fell to the cement with a heavy oomf on his stomach, air whooshing out of his lungs, the enchanted chain wound tightly around his feet. Gasping to reclaim the air that was knocked out of him, Jake rolled to his side to prepare himself to defend against his attacker. They were still far enough away that Jake chanced working the knot on the chain. Even with his augmented strength, he would have been nothing against chains like these, let alone an enchanted weapon, and from the looks of it, this one had been expensive. There were little words engraved into the metal, no doubt a spell to hinder his dragon strength and stop his transformation. He didn't know who had resources like that...no one was supposed to know what he was. They attacked him as a human.

Blinking away sweat that stung his eyes, Jake continued to fumble with the knot, unable to transform and flee. By now his heart was racing in his chest, each beat adding to his already throbbing headache. He looked up with a barely constrained gasp when he realized he was surrounded. Hooded members closed in around him. He wiped back his sweat-ridden hair and counted 4..5..7 clan members.

Cursing under his breath, Jake watched in dread as they cautiously inched closer; they seemed to know very well that their prey was several times more dangerous when it was trapped and desperate. Biting his lower lip Jake felt for the dragon fire inside of him, smiling slightly in hope when he realized their mistake; these chains contained his transformation, but not his fire. He waited until they were no less than ten feet away before he screamed and threw a wave of blue fire in a circle around him. Only three were quick enough to escape unscathed, the fire scorching the cloaked members and sending them writhing on the ground. Jake would have grinned at their misfortune if he wasn't so afraid.

He choked out a yell when a strong hand closed around the back of his neck and forced him flat against the ground, jarring his skull against concrete. His attackers' other hand was pulling his arms behind his back, easily overcoming the dazed dragon. Blood dripped between his teeth and stained the rooftop, his vision blurred from the impact with the ground. Coughing back nausea, Jake curled his knees under him and arched his back attempting to throw his attacker off, but his movements were further hindered when he felt cold steel wrap around his wrists, pulling them together in painfully tight binds.

Fighting to hold back desperate tears, Jake squirmed under bruising hands as a cloth was held over his nose and mouth. He recognized the smell instantly as numbness spread through his limbs, his fingers twitching as he was dragged into unconsciousness. He felt the dull stab of panic as he realized he was probably going to die. Too tired to hold back the tears, Jake finally let them fall as the last of his will began to crumble under the influence of the drug, "_Grandpa...if only you were still here to help me.I failed...I'm sorry..."_


	2. Romelov

**I'm going off of Jakes dragon form from season one cause I think it makes much more sense in the long run. **

~30 minutes ago~

Jake yawned and rubbed the back of his neck sleepily. Trixie looked over at him with an expression of interest mixed with concern, "What's the matter with you?" The trio sat outside a popular coffee spot for their high school. At the moment, Jake was 17, but in a month he would be 18 and three months away from the end of the year and one step closer to college. Since he'd first become the American Dragon, Jake had gotten taller, and he'd gone through a growth spurt between 15 and 16 and now he was almost his dad's height, plus he'd filled in much of his old lankiness with muscle.

After years of fighting practice and learning martial arts, Jake finally had the muscle to back up his big mouth. He'd upgraded his fashion from when he was 14 to something more appealing than long shorts and high socks. Granted, red was still his favorite color, not that he was biased or anything BEING red, but he'd upgraded to a long sleeved shirt with a regular shirt over that.

Jake fell back into his chair, shoving his hands deep down his jean pockets, "Same old, same old. Tired. Fell asleep without changing again and missed the pillow, so now my neck's sore."

Spud moved his hair out of his eyes, "Rough man. How many hours you think?"

Sighing, Jack moved his exhausted body into a recline, "Uh, three...maybe."

Trixie looked worried now, "Jake, you can't keep this up, you can't function on less than ten hours of sleep a week; you're killing yourself."

Jake forced his tired muscles into action as he sat up and leaned on his knees. Rubbing his burning eyes, Jake retaliated groggily, "I don't need as much sleep as human's do, you know that...but you're right: I can't keep this up." Slouching further Jake grumbled rhetorically, "But seriously, what am I supposed to do Trixie? Fei Lian decided to stop by and screw with Manhattan, and on top of that I've been dealing with these mini griffin...things. Stupid birds things have some teeth on them."

Trixie interjected, "What's Fei Lian."

Spud answered automatically, "Chinese mythology archives him as the God of Wind. He's also a troublemaker."

Jake was grateful that Spud picked up the explanation as he grumbled under his breath, "Damn right he's a troublemaker, I mean, who _does_ that?"

Trixie raised her eyebrows in question, but Jake gave her a flat stare that perfectly conveyed how little he was willing to divulge on the topic.

Pulling himself to his feet Jake rolled his shoulders, "I'll catch you later guys...maybe. I'm gonna nap before I head out."

Trixie folded her arms, "Mmk Jake, just don't push yourself too hard. If you need help, you know where we are."

Jake gave her a small smile and lifted his hand in a half salute, "Thanks Trix, see you guys." The American Dragon hadn't made it even half way home before he felt a tingle in his spine, a shiver that brought him to attention; he was being watched. Not wanting his stalker to know he was on to them, Jake casually scanned the New York crowd. No one jumped out to him right away, but the feeling was escalating. After glancing up at the rooftops and still finding no one, Jake wasn't sure he wanted to lead this unseen presence to his front porch.

Taking an abrupt right, Jake hunched his shoulders and strode down an empty alley. Not hearing any footsteps behind him, Jake stopped and turned full circle, calling out, "Stop hiding, I know you're there!" Jake was rewarded with an unnatural silence. The screech of brakes could still be heard from the street, but in the alley it seemed far away and muted. The sun was already low in the sky, brilliant orange signaling twilight, but it wouldn't be dark for another hour at most.

Crouching slightly, Jake wet his lips, anxious to stop the tension of waiting under watchful eyes. Jake gasped and his body instinctively jerked to the side as he heard a familiar whistle of a weapon slicing the air. A blade nicked his right calf, dragging him to his knee in unexpected pain. If he hadn't moved, that blade would have stuck in his thigh, seizing his muscles and leaving him unable to escape.

Instead of turning toward his attacker, Jake settled on a slightly smarter move and lurched toward the other end of the alley and towards a fire escape. Looking over his shoulder, Jake saw a hooded, uniformed man, not unlike the huntsclan, fall into a crouch as he jumped over the side from the roof and then burst forward after him. Listening carefully past his quick, adrenaline rushed heart, breathing and pounding feet, Jake heard the movements of at least two others.

Cursing his luck, Jake flung himself at the fire escape ladder. Fingers almost losing their grip on slimy rust when the ladder slid down, Jake clung to the bottom rung and hoisted himself up to the first landing seconds before the man behind him was following suite. Another knife was thrown at him as he scampered up the fire escape; it bounced harmlessly off of a bar and fell to the alley below, a metallic clatter accompanying the abandoned weapon. Jake noticed this time that this knife was thrown at his legs again. These people weren't trying to kill him, well, _yet_ at least; only slow him down _and catch him_.

Swinging onto the roof, Jake found himself almost face to face with one of his pursuers. Gritting his teeth, Jake dodged the first punch thrown at his jaw, ducking low in a half crouch and continued his momentum in a circle to spring up and kick at the man's side. Catching him in the ribs, the man went down with a heavy grunt and Jack fell into a sprint, building speed to jump over the gap in the buildings. Having dragon strength only meant that he had to hold back on regular humans so he didn't seriously hurt anyone, but that didn't make him superhuman, if he had to fight all these trainer fighters at once, he would lose.

Now it was almost a challenge not to Dragon up out of sheer adrenaline, but Jake reeled it in, afraid to give up his identity if they didn't already know it. Somewhere in his mind Jake asked himself, "_Then why are they chasing you?_"

Sweat was chilling his skin as Jake lurched over the first gap, rolling as his feet hit the ground to distribute the shock. The nick in his leg already had him slowing down. His sock was saturated with blood and his leg burned from the stress being put into his torn muscle. Jake started to limp and lose distance between the pursuers and himself. His already exhausted body was reaching it's limit as Jake began to favor his left leg.

Jake fell to the cement with a heavy oomf on his stomach, air whooshing out of his lungs, the enchanted chain wound tightly around his feet. Gasping to reclaim the air that was knocked out of him, Jake rolled to his side to prepare himself to defend against his attacker. They were still far enough away that Jake chanced working the knot on the chain. Even with his augmented strength, he would have been nothing against chains like these, let alone an enchanted weapon, and from the looks of it, this one had been expensive. There were little words engraved into the metal, no doubt a spell to hinder his dragon strength and stop his transformation. He didn't know who had resources like that...no one was supposed to know what he was. They attacked him as a human.

Blinking away sweat that stung his eyes, Jake continued to fumble with the knot, unable to transform and flee. By now his heart was racing in his chest, each beat adding to his already throbbing headache. He looked up with a barely constrained gasp when he realized he was surrounded. Hooded members closed in around him. He wiped back his sweat-ridden hair and counted 4..5..7 clan members.

Cursing under his breath, Jake watched in dread as they cautiously inched closer; they seemed to know very well that their prey was several times more dangerous when it was trapped and desperate. Biting his lower lip Jake felt for the dragon fire inside of him, smiling slightly in hope when he realized their mistake; these chains contained his transformation, but not his fire. He waited until they were no less than ten feet away before he screamed and threw a wave of blue fire in a circle around him. Only three were quick enough to escape unscathed, the fire scorching the cloaked members and sending them writhing on the ground. Jake would have grinned at their misfortune if he wasn't so afraid.

He choked out a yell when a strong hand closed around the back of his neck and forced him flat against the ground, jarring his skull against concrete. His attackers' other hand was pulling his arms behind his back, easily overcoming the dazed dragon. Blood dripped between his teeth and stained the rooftop, his vision blurred from the impact with the ground. Coughing back nausea, Jake curled his knees under him and arched his back attempting to throw his attacker off, but his movements were further hindered when he felt cold steel wrap around his wrists, pulling them together in painfully tight binds.

Fighting to hold back desperate tears, Jake squirmed under bruising hands as a cloth was held over his nose and mouth. He recognized the smell instantly as numbness spread through his limbs, his fingers twitching as he was dragged into unconsciousness. He felt the dull stab of panic as he realized he was probably going to die. Too tired to hold back the tears, Jake finally let them fall as the last of his will began to crumble under the influence of the drug, "_Grandpa...if only you were still here to help me.I failed...I'm sorry..."_

Jake woke in a dimly lit room to a dull ache. His mind was foggy as he fought to remember what had happened. His cheek was pressed flat against a metal floor and as Jake looked up he saw bars. Trying to move his arms just initiated a different pain. His arms were chained to his back, and as Jake rolled to his side, he took note that his feet and legs were also bound. Not bothering to hold in a groan, Jake wiggled in the chains in an attempt to stretch his cramping muscles. The chains binding him rattled, alerting another presence in the room.

Jake eyes refused to focus as man walked up to his cage, "You're awake? Good." Even with his mind chugging so slowly, Jake could see the wealth written all over him. He was in an expensive suit and even under such dim lighting Jake caught the glitter of an equally expensive watch.

The man turned his head and spoke to a man behind him in another language. If Jake were more alert maybe he could have placed it, but as it was, he didn't care. The man opened the door to his cage and stepped inside, but Jake couldn't have turned to look at him if he wanted to. He choked out a sob as the chains binding his arms were removed and the circulation spread through his veins like burning ice. The same was done for his legs and Jake rolled to his back, muscles burning. Jake coughed out a gasp, aware of the same man gripping his arm tight and lifting it. The same man's voice echoed in the large room, "Pardon the chains, they were precautionary in case you woke up. You can never be too careful."

There was a prick of a needle and the man dropped his arm. He heard the sound of steel scratching steel as the man stepped out and locked him back inside. Jake felt his arm begin to regain feeling and at the same time, the most painful thing he'd ever felt shredded his consciousness. Jake arched his back and screamed at the pain, rolling from his back to his stomach as he felt his body being forced to transform. He felt his bones grind and his spine tear through his skin in paralyzing pain. Jake shuddered into the final stages of the change, his muscles shaking in exertion. All in all it was one of the single most disturbing things Jake had ever felt.

His dark red scales glittered in the weak light, his serpentine body bending the light shining off his scales in waves. The dark green ridge on his back scraping the ceiling of the cage in a harsh screech and showering the floor in little sparks. His wings couldn't stretch to their full length in such a small cage and he thrashed his head in frustration.

Forcing himself up enough that he could breath, Jake dry heaved until he had the willpower to settle his stomach's twisting. Now that Jake had all his dragon strength to back him up, he pushed himself up onto all fours, the highest he could be in a cage as small as his, and roared his anger into the face of the man watching, amused, only inches away.

When he didn't even flinch, Jake curled his lips in a snarl and drew in a breath to light his fire. Shooting fire at the man, Jake was only partially surprised when the fire stayed within the confines of his cage, swirling until it extinguished itself into black ash. It wasn't as if he hadn't been prepared for him already. Jake eventually settled for thrashing his tail back and forth and crouching at the far side of his prison. Hissing at his captor, Jake bristled, "What do you want with me? How did you know?"

He laughed, his eyes flat and cold as took in every detail of Jakes dragon form, "I didn't, but that potion took care of that problem; if you weren't a dragon nothing would have happened and I would have put you down. I've had people watching New York and they started to see the signs." Jake was hit with regret; he should have been more careful, but he felt startlingly grateful that they hadn't caught the wrong magical creature. Being the American dragon was rubbing off on his character he decided; He no longer simply cared for his own well being.

"As for what I want, isn't that obvious?" He waved his hand at the man behind him and he exited the room in such a calm manner that Jake felt his insides churn. Circling the cage like a vulture, each step smooth and relaxed, the wealthy stranger asked a rhetorical question, "What, Jake Long,"Jake twitched hearing his name coming from this strangers' lips, "does every human being strive for?" Jake turned to face him as he circled around, "Power, my dragon friend."

At the word 'friend' Jake let a deep growl roll from his chest, "What does that have to do with me?" He smiled, a flash of white, "Tell me Jake, why is it you magical creatures try so very hard to keep the world from learning of your existence?"

Jake felt the overwhelming need to defend himself, "The world isn't ready for us. War could break out."

The man smiled again, this time much more maliciously than before, "You're misunderstanding my intentions Dragon. War is _exactly_ what I want."

Jake flicked his tail in agitation, "Why?"

He rolled his eyes, "That isn't something you need to know right now. What I _do_ want you to know is that _you, Jake Long_, will be the fall of your species, hell, probably most magical creatures. Isn't that exciting?"

He all but hissed Jake's name and the American dragon felt his insides churn with guilt, "You can't do that! You would be waging war with an _entire world_, the casualties would be tremendous!"

He shrugged, "So? As long as I get what I want, that doesn't matter to me...in fact, most of you magical things don't."

Jake felt his heart pounding in his chest, '_This is happening...'_

The man slid his hands into his pockets and wandered around the cage again, "DO you know why I sought out a dragon to reveal to the world Jake?"

Baring his fangs, Jake spat, "Don't use my name you son of a bitch."

He promptly ignored his threat and continued, "I did a little...research on your world and I discovered that dragons were the natural protectors of, well, everything. I figured it was only fitting that a dragon caused the downfall of the world."

Jake hissed in disgust, "Charming; A bad guy with _class_."

He checked his watch and answered in amusement, "I would like to think so."

"Why me?"

The man met his eyes, "Excuse me?"

"Why me, personally."

He grinned, "Oh, don't take any of this personally, you were just the most convenient seeing as the region with the most recorded activity is Manhattan."

Jake signed and turned his back on his captor, lying down and mumbling sarcastically, "Fantastic."

The red dragon could hear his shoes clicking on the metal ground as he made to leave, and decided to ask, "Since you're probably going to kill me when you're done with me, do I at least get a name?"

He paused before responding, "Romelov." And with the squeak of an un-oiled hinge, he left the dragon in his cramped cell with only the echoes of his breath and the concrete belief that he'd failed in his duty as a protector, and that everything he and his species stood for was about to be crushed.


	3. Descent

**Descent**

Jake couldn't tell how much time was passing in a room with no windows or access to outside light. As far as he could tell the room he was in was just another version of the cage around him. All it lacked were the physical bars, but it was basically the same. Everything, even the floors, were made of enchanted steel.

Lazing on his side, Jake knew he should be finding a way to escape, but his hopes were riding depressingly low and any ideas were running on empty. He would have turned back so he would have more room to stretch out in the little space he had, but he assumed something in the potion they'd injected him with was preventing him from changing back. When he'd tried he felt the same pain as before, only-no transformation. He'd stopped trying after only two goes at that.

Snorting through his nose, a little cloud of smoke swirled around the bars and dissipated under the greenish phosphorescent ceiling lights. Switching to his right side, Jake forgot about sleeping in favor of his hollow stomach. He was starving, and there wasn't any sign he was going to be fed. Jake was sure hours had gone by, and he wasn't sure if any days were lost while they had moved him to wherever he was.

Jake tensed and his ears pricked when he heard the screech of the door as it swung open. Romelov stepped through followed by a man Jake hadn't yet seen.

The man following behind Romelov was dressed in a long, dark purple robe with gold embroidery glittering in immense detail across the expanse of it. The hood was drawn over his head, but even in the dim light Jake could see his face. He was old and haggard, a deep scar running down his cheek to his chin. He had a trimmed, short beard and piercing blue eyes. If anything, his intelligence seemed to match Romelov's. All things considered, Jake felt threatened by this old, grizzled man.

"So you actually did it. Caught the American Dragon did you?" The old man stopped with his nose almost touching the bars. I dropped my jaw and filtered a warbling hiss. He smiled, a thin scottish accent lining his words, "I see you appreciate my handiwork dragon."

"A warlock? Do you even realize what your doing?" Jake slapped the bars with his tail in anger.

The warlock snorted, "Of course I do. You fail to realize the real power at work here. Sure, I can enchant a few items and sling a few spells, but what will that get me? The _real_ power is money, and this man is full of it. As long as I get paid, he can do whatever the hell he wants."

Jake seethed in anger as Romelov asked, unperturbed by their exchange, "You said you needed to see the dragon if you were going to keep his fire in check."

"I needed to be sure which dragon you had captured. Depending on the species, the containment spells will be different." Jake watch as he took what looked to be a lot like a muzzle out of his robes and dropped it onto a table, one of the few things "decorating" the room. He held a hand over it and started a steady chant. The metal glowed like it was red hot and words seemed to carve themselves into the steel.

Jake directed his focus back to Romelov, "Why would you need that? This cage seems to block fire just fine."

Romelov kept one eye on the warlock and answered, "Because American Dragon, you're not going to be in a cage."

Jake tilted his head in confusion and Romelov smiled, "I'm not going to ruin the surprise, not after I've spent so much time planning it." He held his hands behind his back and watched the magician a moment more before striding back to the door. He beckoned the man from before back inside and gave him instructions in a hushed tone that didn't quite carry to Jake's ears.

The man pulled out a pistol and shot jake in the neck in his weaker scales with a dart from across the room with practiced ease. The instant Jake felt the prick of the needle his limbs grew heavy and the world started to spin. Dropping to his stomach Jake felt himself half-awake with a body that wouldn't obey him. His wings gave a feeble twitch before his breathing stabilized into a slow, rhythmic lullaby. Jake watched as the warlock and man that shot him entered the cage and placed that muzzle on his snout and a ring of metal around his neck.

The most protest Jake could give was a twitch and a grumbling whine. He was pleased that his jerking movement was at least enough to make the warlock jump. They both left the cage and Jake heard the fizz of static on a walkie talkie. He was aware of his cage being moved so it would roll through a separate door that hooked up to the back of a semi trailer.

Whatever they drugged him with was beginning to wear off as Jake forced himself to his feet with a frustrated whine. A man in front of him inched backwards, coaxing him out of his small cramped cage as bait and into the back of the trailer. A crocodilian hiss found its way out of his chest as Jake fought to stay on his feet. Lunging forward, Jake fell short as the metal around his neck pulled tight, dragging him down to his side. Shaking his head in confusion, Jake caught his breath as he watched three men hooking chains to the metal around his neck and then to the floor.

Pushing to his feet again, Jake thrashed against the chains, adrenaline overcoming the drug in his system. The chains pulled taut as Jake flapped his wings in an effort to help pull himself free. All he earned was a set of sore wings and a muzzle keeping him from gasping for breath. Lightheaded, Jake fell to his stomach and focused on catching up his breathing to his raging heartbeat. The three men that had moved him sat at the far end of the trailer, well out of reach of his claws, but still watching him warily, weapons ready in case by some miracle, he actually did escape.

Deciding against trying to free himself, Jake curled on his side and hooked the claws on his hind legs in the muzzle, attempting to tear it free. It didn't even budge and it didn't seem worth the effort to try after the first few tugs. Settling into the far back corner, Jake curled into a ball, eyes on his captors and alert for any opportunity to escape. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind Jake knew that if Romelov was this prepared, his chances were dwindling away to nothing the longer it took.

A few hours passed in the dimly lit van and even from the smells drifting in from the ventilation holes near the top, he didn't recognize where they were; the smells varied from countryside to city as they passed civilization, driving along what could only be the interstate. The men at the far side had taken to a game of cards in their boredom as the light filtering in from outside faded into night.

Once when Jake stood up to stretch and turn in a circle, he noticed all the men's hands drift inconspicuously to their weapons, but besides that, their actions did nothing to betray their caution. Romelov hired his flunkies well; these guys meant serious business.

Eventually the van stopped, and though the air was stagnant and hot, it wasn't unbearable, which Jake figured it'd have to be with the humans riding shotgun with him in the back. Smoke curling out of his nostrils, Jake stood and watched the now alert humans. He was hungry and tired, but he wasn't going down without a fight, and he was going to make sure they knew that.

Jake started an impatient fidget, turning back and forth at the end of his restraints, edgy for confrontation the second they got too close. One of the men flipped out their cell phone and answered, hand on hip. Staring at the ground as he listened, the man nodded, repeating, "Ja...Ja." Snapping the phone shut, the man slid it back into his pocket and muttered to the rest of them in a language he assumed was German as he picked up the high powered rifle. Aiming for a weak spot in his scales, the man steadied his hands while his lined up the shot.

This time Jake was ready, concentrating on the rifle, the second he saw his finger tighten on the trigger, Jake lifted his wings, blocking the round. The tranquilizer bounced off, rolling harmlessly on the ground. Jake shook his head in triumph and growled in challenge. The man cursed and tried again, reloading the barrel. Jake did the same thing as before, snorting a plume of smoke into the ground in victory. The tougher he made this for them, the better he'd feel. Head lowered, Jake prepared himself to deflect the attack again.

The man muttered under his breath and drew out a cigarette, lighter casting an eerie glow on his features as he turned in a contemplative circle before gesturing to his companions and chattering away, motioning towards Jake once or twice. The others nodded and held up a net between them, inching closer and closer to the angry dragon.

Jake flared his wings aggressively and turned sideways, waiting until they were just within striking range to swing his tail out, catching one man in the weak part of his knees before he could jump out of the way. The man fell heavily onto the ground, but was dragged out of harms way before Jake could even dream of taking him hostage.

Jake curled his claws into the metal in annoyance, sparks bouncing away under the friction. This time, one got well within his reach as he lashed out, but dodged his blows carefully as a distraction, while the others got around him to tangle him in the net.

Thrashing until he was well tangled in their trap, two of them held down his head still so they could shoot the weaker scales behind his ear. Jake jerked in their hold, but only managed to move them about an inch or so before they readjusted their grip.

The man who had shot at him before, stood to the side and made the shot, Jake feeling the familiar prick of the needle as his strength began to fail him. Focusing on breathing as he felt the man loosen their hold around his head, Jake used the last of his dwindling strength to headbutt the man closest to him, smirking in satisfaction when he knocked him to the ground. Jake rumbled in light laughter as he blearily observed what was happening around him

The back of the truck was opened now that he was drugged, and to his surprise, they seemed to be waiting until the drug wore off. Closing his eyes, Jake placed all his concentration on the numbness in his limbs, twitching as he tested their reliability. There was a snapping in his ears as he opened his eyes to see a gangly man crouched near his face getting his attention. Rolling his head in annoyance, Jake growled and debated if he had enough strength to deal with the person in front of him.

Flicking his tail, still tied in the ropes, Jake had about as much control over his body as a drunk puppeteer. The man kept whining at him to get up, an irritating buzz in his ears. Finally, Jake lunged to his feet, legs shaking under him, frustrated when the man skipped back out of reach. Collapsing again, Jake focused on standing up, heaving himself to his feet with a loud growl. Flaring his wings for balance, his wings screeched on his prison's sides, too small to contain his wingspan.

Head low as he kept himself on his feet, Jake closed his eyes and swayed on his feet, but stayed up. Opening his eyes, Jake noticed the ropes being cut from his sides and the chains around his neck and snout being untied from the ground, but there was little he could do about it as he kept all his strength on his wobbling balance.

Feeling a tug on the chains around his neck, Jake looked up to see his captors trying to pull him free from the trailer. A growl vibrating strong in his chest, Jake drunkenly helped himself out, his claws digging gauges out in the soft grass and soil under his feet. Tossing his head back and forth, Jake took in his surroundings, so far certain that he somehow recognized this place.

Strength still far from being enough to allow him to escape, Jake was positive his captors knew this, pulling the chains tight and standing far from the reach of his wings and tail. Scales heating up under the sun, Jake's pupils dilated when he inhaled a painfully familiar scent.

"Don't mind the drugs, we just needed you complacent while we worked."

Jake bucked under the chains, the abruptness of his movements sending one man sprawling to the grass. Fighting feebly, Jake managed to turn enough to narrow his eyes at Romelov.

The man was still wearing one of his expensive suits as he padded across the cleanly mowed lawn. Flashing him a confident smile he asked, "Do you know where we are, dragon?"

Jake looked over his shoulder at the side of the building, and though he recognized it, he didn't remember. Shaking his head savagely to the right, Jake clearly articulated that as a no.

Romelov smiled, "This is the UN building American Dragon, and _you_ are going to attack it."

Jake didn't bother to contain his derision, snapping his wings to their full width. Romelov's amusement was apparent as he stepped to the side as his contracted wizard to his place next to him,"You must be wondering why you're going to do this?"

Jake narrowed his eyes to violent slits, his growl climbing in volume as Romelov stepped closer, his voice cold and harsh, "I've been planning this for months, my plans are flawless."

Turning his back on the warlock and Jake, he drawled, "I have somewhere I need to be; carry on."

Jake snapped his head to the warlock, his dulled sense sharpening as the drug in his system began to fade away.

The warlock pulled out a rune covered mahogany staff and muttered with a shrug, "Nothing personal." Pulling out a large, ruby amulet he looked to the men warning, "Hold him still."

Their muscles bunched as they pulled the chain's taut around Jake's neck, sweat shining under the glare of the sun. The warlock stepped close enough to drop the amulet over his head before jumping back and muttering the spell needed to activate the enchanted item.

Jake twitched at the sensation of his mind being invaded as he heard low whispers crawling across his brain. Shivering under the pull of dark magic, Jake felt the inner well of his magic being corrupted by the amulet, making him feel revolted and sick. Taking a long drag of air, Jake whined and backed away from the warlock, his mind foggy as the whispers grew in his head until they were agonizing screams.

Reeling in pain under the dark magic, Jake was aware that the muzzle had been removed from his snout as his roared and screeched under the influence of the amulet. Soon, the only thing he could hear or see or know was the coaxing of that cold, bloody amulet in his head as he fell in a deep spiral into madness...


	4. Aftermath

**Aftermath**

"Now we go to our interview with the President of OmniCorp. Leslie?"

"Yes, Here we are with Mr. Romelov. He's come forward with facts regarding the recent, devastating attack on the UN building."

_"You see, this was a direct, conscientious attack on the nations of the world; these creatures are dangerous and need to be taken care of. Clearly, they think they can get away with this atrocity without having to answer for it. We need to stand up for ourselves and show them that we will not take this kind of abuse!" _

"You say these creatures hide among us, but you know how to find them?"

_"I do, I've seen this coming and have gathered the resources needed to strike back."_

"As a private corporation, how do you account for this arsenal that you appear to have gathered?"

"It's merely self defense, but I doubt these weapons would seem deadly, or even dangerous to the normal person. These magical creatures are effecting by a different type of science than humans, more of which are generally harmless to most people."

"So what do you intend to do?"

_ "With the good graces of the Vice President, soon to be President, It's my full intention to protect this country, and show these creatures what they deal with when they trifle with the wrong nation."_

"Do you think this could mean war in the home territory of the United States?"

_"Without a doubt. This war began with the attack on the UN building."_


	5. Runaway

**Runaway**

Jake came to, jaws wide as he inhaled to unleash his fire upon the victim at his feet, arms covering their head as they braced themselves for certain death. Eyes widening in confusion, Jake swallowed the urge and spun full circle, nose burning with the arid scent of blood. Fear running foremost in his mind, Jake turned tail and ran on all fours, unable to tear his eyes from the damage he knew he'd done.

There were several people lying motionless on the ground, dead or injured, Jake had no idea. Nausea forcing bile to his mouth, Jake ignored it and fled, escape the only thing on his mind. Pain flared in his side and he stumbled, jerking his head back to see blood glistening on his scales. In his hesitation, shots rang out from the hallway and Jake curled away from the onslaught of bullets, most of which bounced harmlessly off his armor, but if he waited around too long, they could get in a lucky shot.

Rushing towards his attackers, Jake gave the pretense of an attack, which proved to be too much for police to hold their ground against as they dove out of his way. Chest heaving in exertion, Jake barreled through a set of glass doors, broken shards scattering over the polished floor. There were cop cars positioned outside in a barricade, weapons drawn as they opened fire.

Without pausing, Jake shot a plume of fire over the entrance as a distraction causing all the police to instinctively draw back from the force of the heat. Nearly out of fire, Jake skidded on the stone, his claws scratching the surface as he sprinted through the fire, leaping into the air at full speed, wings pumping desperately to gain altitude.

Gaining distance between himself and the destruction he had unwittingly cause did nothing to relieve him of the gravity of it. Not slowing even when he was sure he wasn't being pursued, Jake flew until he almost fell out of the sky. Landing in the woods outside of a small town, Jake's legs crumpled beneath him at the edge of a lake.

Jaw stretched his jaw as he gasped for air, unaware that he wasn't alone and too exhausted to do anything about it. When he finally caught his breath, Jake stood back up and walked to the waters edge, swallowing mouthfuls of water before flopping back to the small polished stones of the waters edge.

Sitting upright, Jake concentrated once again on turning back to human. Instead of feeling the gut-wrenching pain from before, Jake found himself just as human as he always was. Sighing in relief, Jake observed his injuries. Deciding that none of them were life-threatening, Jake ignored them and pulled his knees to his chest, flinching when he felt cold stone touch his skin.

Bringing his hand to his chest, Jake's hand traced the cold contours of a stone amulet. Face twisting into a snarl, Jake wrenched it from his chest, snapping the chain, and threw it down the stony beach, devoid of the satisfaction he hoped that would bring as he watched it bounce on the rocks, before settling face up to the sky, it's blood red recesses a vivd reminder of what he'd done.

Jake jumped and stiffened when he felt a cold blade at the back of his neck. Drooping at the touch, his legs threatening to give out on him, Jake groaned, "What now?"

A female voice behind him bit, "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you where you stand."

Jake sighed, "Why do you want to kill me?"

The blade dug deeper, drawing blood, "You are a _traitor_."

"Oh," sinking to his knees, Jake felt his heart plummet, "Then I guess you have all the right in the world." Head falling into his hands Jake fought the tears burning in his eyes, "I'm sorry."

"Why do you apologize?" The voice sounded confused and angry.

Jake barked a humorless laugh, "I never wanted this to happen."

Jake looked up when the voice sounded from his level, "You do not have the appearance of one who has claimed victory. You look more like you have failed." A young elf girl was crouched on the stone in front of him, an inquisitive frown creasing her delicate features, her skin lightly tanned from the sun. Her blonde hair was pulled back except for her bangs that outlined her face, curving down to her shoulders. Her knife was limp in her grip, either positive he wasn't a threat or sure she could still outmatch him without being prepared. Jake was sure it was both.

Brushing his dirty hair out of his eyes, Jake looked to the ground, "That's because I _did_ fail." In an almost inaudible whisper Jake mumbled to himself, "I was supposed to protect; never _this_."

Crossing her legs, the girl leaned forward, "Tell me exactly what happened, and maybe then I will decide not to kill you."

Jake met her eyes darkly and began, "I made a mistake..."

The girl listened to his story intently, her eyes drifting down the beach to the amulet when he finished, where it still shone brightly among the grey, "That is the amulet?"

Jake felt sleep converging on his senses, "Yeah."

She stood and walked over to it, her hand hovering over the gem before deciding against touching it and picked it up by the chain, her face drawn in disgust. Holding it away from her body, she stood over Jake, "It is good you did not throw it into the lake, your only proof would be sinking in the silt. Even still, I understand your rage towards such dark magic."

Jake rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, "Yeah, good for me."

Her eyes shining with pity, she asked gently, "You are tired, can you stand?"

"Why?"

She offered him her outstretched hand, "I am taking you back with me; You need help."

Jake took her hand and let the elf drag him to his feet, determined to stay upright, "What's your name?"

Without letting go of his hand, she dragged him into the woods, "Harmony."

Jake mused quietly, "That's a pretty name."

He could hear the pride in her voice, "Thank you, my twin sister's name is Melody."

Jake was interested in conversation if only so he could ignore his pain, "A twin sister? So then I guess she looks just like you?"

She caught him when he tripped over a high root, "My sister kept our natural color; brown. I dyed my hair blonde so people could tell me apart."

They talked like that on the way to her village, Jake becoming more and more uneasy the closer they came to it. Jake felt the edge of the town as they passed over a magical barrier, his heart rate nearly double what it was before.

Harmony could feel his panic and she reassured him, the amulet still dangling from her fingers, "We can take care of you, I will make sure you have nothing to fear from my people."

Jake thanked her as they stepped into the circle of dwellings, wanting nothing more than to curl up and sleep at that point. Realizing that they had just stepped into a very solemn meeting, Jake was self-conscious as all eyes turned to them.

The village elder stepped in front of the group, eyes demanding an explanation. He questioned suspiciously, "An outsider?" He was short and a clipped, white beard augmented his chin. For his age, his blue eyes were clear and sharp.

Harmony stepped in front of Jake, amulet held out in front of her, "Before him elder, I think this should be dealt with."

The whole village withdrew as the elder quipped, "Why would you bring that _here_?"

She narrowed her eyes, "You think it wise to leave it where it lay to corrupt everything it touches?"

The elder took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly to regain his composure, "You're right, everything is just...out of sorts. You understand."

Harmony took a deep breath, handing over the amulet carefully, "Speaking of that, elder, this is Jake."

The elder looked up from examining the amulet and handed it off to someone behind him, who wrapped it in a fine white silk and walked off, "Should I know this Jake?"

Harmony's eyes grew dark as she intoned, "Jake is the dragon the attacked the UN building-" everyone's eyes shot to Jake, ragged and bleeding behind her, "-under the influence of the amulet."

The elder looked at Jake with mistrust and argued with Harmony, "You can't know that."

Harmony met him evenly, "I can, and I do. You know I'm right about these things."

Jake spoke up from behind Harmony, barely keeping on his feet, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but if you were going to kill me, can you do it now? I'm sure I'm about to pass out, so I would decide what to do with me soon." Fighting a losing battle, Jake was shaking as he sunk to the ground.

There was a moment of silence only permeated by Jakes ragged breathing until the elder spoke quietly, "If what you say is true, we can hardly refuse help to a creature in need, no less, the American Dragon. Melanie, take him to Bermy's home. Harmony, until this matter is settled, you are to stay with him and he's your responsibility."

"Yes elder."

Now that Jake's mind registered that he was no longer in immediate danger, his body shut down, desperate for rest. Feeling hands curve around his body to lift him up, Jake put his trust in the only magical creatures on Earth that might be on his side.

When Jake woke up, the room was dark, only the vague outlines of forms visible in the waning moonlight. Painfully aware of his injuries and sore muscles, Jake didn't bother to stifle a small groan as he arched his back, trying in vain to relieve the stiffness. His nose picked up the scent of strong herbs and pine trees, along with the loamy smell of the earth.

A light voice sounded from his right and he turned towards the sound in recognition, "Harmony?" His voice was dry and raspy from misuse and Jake was grateful when she helped him sit up and pushed a glass of water into his hand.

"Feeling better?"

Jake finished off the glass and fell back to the bed, "Oh I'm definitely feeling _something_."

He sensed her amusement as she asked, "Jake, normally we would not be bothering you in such a fragile state, but the elder needs to know who started all this."

Jake snarled the name in hatred, "Romelov. I don't know his last name or even if that's his real name, but that's what he told me."

"You would recognize him if you saw him again?"

"He already haunts my nightmares." Jake squeezed the sheets under his hands, "Can you tell me something?"

Harmony sat down next to him and asked, "Tell you what?"

"What have I done?" Jake's voice broke and he looked away.

Harmony laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, "You didn't do this Jake, we saw...we saw the footage from the building and that wasn't you. It was a shadow of yourself under the control of a madman, nothing more. Blaming yourself like this will only cause you grief and guilt, and with those two demons eating away at your soul, you really will become nothing but a shadow."

Jake looked her in the eyes and whispered, "It's not so easy."

Harmony's green eyes glittered as her mouth tilted into a gentle smile, "You are strong Jake. Strengthen your resolve." Standing up, Harmony left him with a light order, "Now sleep, you still need rest. When you are strong again I will tell you what is happening; Incentive to get better."

Jake let some of the tension drain from his shoulders as he sank into the comfort of the sheets, the burden on his soul lifted, if only a little, with the knowledge that there was at least one person who believed in him.

**In case you were wondering, Harmony has an accent, those aren't spelling errors lol Also, sorry for the short chapter, it's a good cutoff for where the story's headed. I actually might make this into a semi-romantic story if that's what you guys want C: It would certainly be longer lol**


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